Dowel retainer



WITNESSES Oct. 31, 1939. c. BEAN 2.178.386

DOWEL RETAI NER Filed NOV. 22, 1937 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,6. INVENTOR v I 5 C'linforo Beam I BY ATTORNEYS I c. BEAN DOWEL RETAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1957 wn'wzssss 5 R o W a T N N u R E c W 0 W .n 15 A m id {1 O Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE 2,178,386 I DOWEL RETAINER Clinton Bean, New Rochelle, 'N. Y.

Application November 22, 1937, Serial No. 175,759 4 Claims. (01. 25-118) This invention relates to improvements in concrete forms, particularly to dowel retainers for use with concrete forms.

In the laying of concrete roads and similar 5 concrete surfaces it is customary .to form the roadsor other surfaces in separate parallel lanes or sections. To bind adjoining lanes together and to aid in maintaining them in the same horizontal plane, transverse metallic dowels ex- 'l0 tending between adjoining lanes are embedded the free ends of the dowel bars; interfere with the placement of the bottom mat of reinforce- 2 ment mesh, where this is used; the distance ahead at the actualplacing of the concrete, that they may be attached to the forms is limited on account of the preparation of the sub-grade.

It is a prime object of the present invention to overcome the difficulties heretofore encountered and'to provide an improved dowel retainer which may be attached to concrete forms or the like prior to the pouring of the concrete lane, and which will retain. the dowels in proper posi- 0 tion whilethe concreteis being poured and while it is setting'."'After the concrete in the initial lane has set to the proper amount and the road form has been disassembled in the usual manner the dowel retainer can be readily removed from 35 the side of the concrete lane. The ends of the dowels which are embedded in the initial lane are disposed transversely thereof, whereas the projecting ends of the dowels are disposed at right angles to the embedded ends and parallel to the side edges of the lane. The projecting ends can then bebent so as to project outwardly from the side of the lane and the next adjacent lane of concrete can then be poured. The method of tieing the lanes or sections of the roadway together with dowel bars'may also be applied where removedythe retainer-may be easily removed without the necessity of any undesired bending or rebending of the dowel bars.

Amongother objects is the provision of a dowel retainer which is of inexpensive construc-- 5 tion, which can be readily attached to and removed from a concrete form, such as a road form, and which is sturdy, so that it may be used repeatedly to retain dowels in position to be embedded in a concrete lane or ribbon.

In .the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dowel retainer embodying. my. invention, illustrated as attached to a concrete form and showing a portion of the concrete lane or ribbon in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the retaining plate attached to a concrete form;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the'line 3- 3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5 and Gare details showing the various parts making up the dowel retainer;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line 'll of Fig. 2, illustrating the relative positions of the parts after the concretev has been poured; 5

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7 after the concrete form has been disassembled, and showing the manner in which the dowel retainer is removed;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a dowel retainer having a modified type of end closure;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line lill0 of Fig. 9;

Figs. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of dowel retainers in which the cover members are 5 provided with modified types of attaching tabs;

Fig. 13 is a front view of a modified type of dowel retainer showing the cover member removed;

Fig. 14' is a longitudinal sectional view in the .1 direction of the arrows on the line l4-M of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a sectional view in the direction of the arrows on the line |5l5 of Fig. 13, showing attached in suitable fashion to a concrete form 2 and is preferably provided with end closures so that between the concrete form and the shielding plate a substantially enclosed chamber is formed to receive the projecting ends of the dowels l1 and prevent them from being embedded in the concrete. The concrete form 2 shown in the accompanying drawings is one standard type of concrete road form, but it is to be understood that my dowel retainer may be attached to other types of concrete forms.

In order to facilitate the use of reenforcing mesh in the concrete, and also to facilitate the insertion of the dowels and the removal of the dowel retainer after the concrete has hardened or set, I prefer to form the retainer in several sections. Thus, I provide a body member 3 which is clearly shown in Fig. of the drawings, a cover member 4 which co-operates with the body member 3 to form a generally channel shaped plate, and end closures 5 which are of the approximate cross; sectional shape of the channel or space enclosed by the combined body and cover members.

The body member 3 is preferably made of metal and is provided with one or more cut-outs B which accommodate the dowels, the cut-outs being of greater size than the cross-sectional size of the dowels so as to accommodate the right angle bends of the dowels, as the dowels are bent at right angles in the usual manner prior to being inserted in the retainer. While my retainers may be formed to retain any desired number of dowels l have found that satisfactory results are obtained by making the retainers of a size to receive two dowels, and for this reason I have illustrated the body member 3 as being provided with two cut-outs 5 one adjacent each end. The distance between the two cut-outs 6 and the spacing of the retainers on the forms, may be so arranged to secure any desired longitudinal spacing of the dowel bars Il. Inside the body member and intermediate the two cut-outs 8. I provide a suitable rest I to receive and hold in position the free ends of the dowels, as well as to act as a stiffener for the vertical face of the body member 3. The rest 'I- is preferably in the form of an angle bar which is suitably secured to the body member 3- as by means of rivets, in a plane below the base of the cut-outs 6. Near each end of the body member I provide apertures 8,, which i serve to receive bolts or pins 9 used in attaching the retainer to the concrete form. The body member is bent longitudinally so as to provide two surfaces Ill and If) at an angle to each other.

The cover member 4, likewise made of metal,

is provided with a relatively broad surface II disposed at an angle to a relatively narrow surface t2; so that when the cover and body members are assembled the surface I2 abuts or slightly overlaps the surface Ill of the body member and. the surface H depends downwardly at an angle and corresponds to the surface ID of the body member. To aid in retaining the cover and body members in assembled relation I provide a pairof projecting tabs I4 suitably secured as by rivets to the under surface of the cover, and projecting outwardly therefrom, the projecting portions of the tabs corresponding in shape with the under surface of the body member 3 of the retainer, so that when the cover. is assembled with the body member the tabs l4. tightly engage the inner surface of the body member, thereby retaining the cover in position.

A relativelybroad closure 5, preferably made of wood, isprovided for each end of the dowel retainer and is preferably of such a size and shape that it fits into the end of the retainer after the cover and body members have been assembled and attached to the concrete form, and completely closes the end thereof.

In using my dowel retainer the body member 3 is attached to the concrete form as by means of the bolts 9 having nuts [9 at the ends thereof and for this purpose the concrete form. should be drilled at intervals so as to receive the bolts. The retainer is attached to the road form at the level at which it is desired to embed the dowels in the concrete. The end closures are then placed in position in the body member so as to project a short distance from the ends thereof as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The purpose of this is to prevent concrete from lodging behind the dowel retainer and permit its ready removal after the concrete has hardened.

After the body member of the retainer and end closures are properly attached to the forms, the cover member is engaged with the body member, but the dowel bars are not placed in the retainer at this time. Thus it will be seen that the complete retainer may be attached to the forms as far ahead of the actual concreting, as the forms are set, with no interference with any other operation. The cover members being placed in position as shown above, prevents any foreign material entering between the body member of the retainer and the form and also finds the cover member in ready position, when the dowel bars are to be placed in position, as will later be discussed.

In the construction of a concrete roadway, either top and bottom mats, or simply a top mat, of reinforcing mesh is used. When the double system or reinforcement is used, the lower mat, as indicated by the dotted lines H5 in Fig. 1, is first positioned in any desired manner. After this, mesh has been placed in position the cover member 4 is temporarily removed and the dowel bars H are placed in the retainer, then the cover member is replaced into its proper position. The dowels are bent at right angles adjacent the center thereof in the usual manner and a pair of dowels are placed in the retainer so that one end of a dowel projects out of each of the openings 6. The projecting ends of the dowels may be horizontally positioned by means of a supporting chair, or other desired manner. The other ends of the dowels are carried in the body member of the retainer in superposed position, with the lower one disposed upon the rest 1. It should also be noted that the apertures 6 are spaced apart. a distance approximately one-half the length of the dowel, although this distance may be varied. After the dowels have been thus placed in. the device the cover member 4 is assembled, the tabs [4. preferably being positioned so as to project into. the inside of the body member between the bolts 9, with a slight entering clearance betweenthe bolts 9 and the tabs 14, so that the bolts 9 serve as stops to prevent the longitudinal misplacement of the cover member, as most clearly appears in Figs. 2 and 3. It will thus be seen that each dowel is retained inposition so that one end projects outwardly at right angles to the face of they form, while the other end is disposed, inside a substantially enclosed chamber formed between the retainer and the concrete form. The remaining concrete may then be poured and finished to the desired surface, with the top reinforcing mesh having been placed in the usualmanner.

If only the top, or upper, mat of reinforcement is used, the dowels may be inserted into the retainers, which have already been attached to the forms, at any time, but preferably only agcomparatively short distance beyond the placing of the concrete. Therefore it is seen that the concrete mixer may be operated from within the forms,'as well as from the outside, with no inter-x ference or delays on account of the dowel bars. Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8 it will be seen that the depending portions Ill and H of .the cover and body members engage the surface of the concrete form. The closures 5 at the end likewise form tight engagement with the concrete form 2 and with the inner'surfa-ces of the cover and body members. In this way the concrete 2!) fiows around the outside of the retainer but does not enter into the inside thereof. This of course facilitates the removal of the retainer from the concrete. The removal, is further facilitated by the fact that the end' closures 5 project from the ends of the. retainer and: prevent concrete from lodging under the outer ends of the retainer. I '25 I After the concrete has properly set or hardened the concrete forms 2 are disassembled, preferably,

on the following day. First, however, the nuts l9 should be removed, or the bolts 9 sheared, or out off at the outside face of the concrete forms. 30 Then after the road, or concrete, forms have been removed the retainer may be conveniently removed as illustrated in Fig. 8, by first removing the end closures, then drawing the cover. member 4 upwardly and outwardly, and then drawing 35 the body member downwardly and outwardly at an angle as illustrated by dotted lines. After the retainer has been removed it will be seen that one end of each dowel is supported in the initial lane of concrete, while the other end is parallel 40 to the side of the lane and disposed in the channel- 2| which is formed in the concrete by the retainer. Thus it may be seen that the projecting or free ends of the dowels are not disturbed, until the adjacent section of concrete is formed, 5 when the dowels are bent out so as to project at right angles to the side of the lane. In this way each dowel extends between adjacent lanes and is permanently embedded in the concrete. Also it will be seen that since a channel 21 is formed 50 in the side of the initial lane the adjacent lanes will be more firmly held in fixed relation, due to the fact that the concrete in the adjacent lane will fiow in the channel 2| when it is poured.

It should be understood of course that the num- 55 bar of dowel retainers employed and their spacing along the concrete form will vary with the numher and spacing of the dowels to be embedded in the concrete.

Instead of using separate, detachable closures i0 5, the closures may be formed integral with the body and the cover members of the retainer. Thus, .in Figs. 9 and 10 I have illustrated a metallic closure formed in two mating sections indicated at 22 and 23, the section 22 being suitably 55 secured to the body member 3 and the section 23 being suitably'secured to the cover 4 as by rivets. The section 22 preferably terminates at the top of the body member and the section 23 preferably terminates at the lower end of the 0 cover member so as to abut when the cover and body members are in assembled relation and thereby provide an enclosed end for the channel. Similar end closures are provided at each end of the retainer. 5 In Figs. 11 and 12 two modified types of retaining tabs for holding the cover in assembled relationwith the body member are shown. Instead of forming the tab so as to terminate adjacent the bottom of the cover member as in the first form of my invention, the tab is formed in a loop and 5 extended upwardly so as to join the upper edge thereof as shown at M and M" in Figs. 11 and 1 2. The loop-into which the tab is formed may vary in shape but should contact both the inner surface. of the body member 3 and the confronting 1.0 surface of the concrete form 2 when the device is assembled as shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Inthe form shown in Fig. 12 the tab l4 contacts a greater portion of the surface of the concrete form than the tab l4 shown in Fig. 11. The tabs I 4" 1 5 and. I4" are secured to the cover member 6 at approximately the same relative positions as the tabs [4 shown in the first form of my invention.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 13 to 17 the end closure and cover portion are assem- 2Q bled in a slightly different fashion. Thus the body member 3 is provided with a closure sleeve adjacent each endu The closure sleeve is formed of a band or strip of metal formed into the cross-sectional shape of the space enclosed by the 25 dowel retainer when it is applied to the concrete form. However, the rear of the closure sleeve is provided with an offset portion 26 adjacent the top thereof which provides a clearance between the concrete form and dowel retainer when it is 30 applied to the concrete form, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained.

One end of the closure sleeve is provided with a closure plate 21. A closure sleeve 25 is secured to each end of the body portion 3 as by means of welding, riveting or the like and in this way a .closure plate 2'1 will be provided at each end of the dowel retainerj The cover member 4 is provided with a depending longitudinal flange 28 so that when the cover member is assembled with the body member the flange 28 projects into the space 26 between the concrete form and the closure sleeve 25. In this form of my invention it is not necessary to provide the cover member with tabs to project inside of the body member as the flange 28 serves to hold it firmly in position. However, the portion 12 of the cover member is preferably formed so as to overlap the front of the body member'as shown most clearly in Fig. 15. The dowel retainer is applied to the concrete forms by means of suitable pins'or bolts which extend through the apertures 8. It will be noted that the apertures 8 .are preferably formed adjacent the two ends of the dowel retainer in registry with the apertures 29 formed in the closure sleeve 25. In other respects the modified type of dowel retainer shown in the last four figures of the drawings may resemble the first form of my invention and may be provided with the openings 6 for receiving the dowels and a rest 1 to help support the dowels and which serves to reinforce the dowel retainer. The modified types of dowel retainers herein described may be utilized in the manner described in detail in connection with the first form of my invention.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that I have provided an improved concrete form, particularly an improved dowel retainer which may be readily attached to and removed from concrete forms; which holds the dowels in proper position to be embedded in the concrete; and which may be readily removed from the concrete after it has set or hardened.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A dowel retainer for use with a concrete road form comprising a body member formed of an elongated plate having an angularly disposed depending longitudinal edge, the body being adapted to be secured to the form with the plate in spaced parallel relation thereto and with the depending edge engaging the form, a cover member comprising an elongated plate substantially the same size and shape as the depending edge of the body member and having depending flanges at its two longitudinal edges, said cover member being adapted to extend between the open longitudinal edge of the body member with one of the depending flanges overlapping the body member and with the other depending flange resting against the road form, and closures at the respective ends of the dowel retainer and adapted to substantially close the space between the road form and body and cover members, said closures having offset portions adjacent the road form so as to provide clearance for the depending flange on the cover member and said body member having an opening therein so that a dowel may rest inside the retainer and extend outwardly at right angles through the opening.

2. A dowel retainer for use with 'a concrete road form comprising a body member formed of an elongated plate having an angularly disposed depending longitudinal edge, the body being adapted to be secured to the form with the plate in spaced relation and parallel thereto and with the depending edge engaging the form, a cover member comprising an elongated plate of substantially the same size and shape of the depending edge of the body member adapted to extend between the open longitudinal edge of the body member and the road form at an angle and having fastening means adapted to engage the body member and hold the cover member in position, and closures at the respective ends of the dowel retainer and adapted to substantially close the space between the road form and body and cover members, said body member having an opening therein so that a dowel may rest inside the retainer and extend outwardly at right angles through the opening.

3. A dowel retainer as specified in claim 2 in which the fastening means for the cover member consists of downwardly depending tabs projecting from one of the longitudinal edges thereof.

4. A dowel retainer as set forth in claim 2 in which the closures at the respective ends of the retainer project a short distance beyond the ends.

CLINTON BEAN. 

